Gemotions

"Just try to fit in," Eleanor's mother had said, her voice crackling over the phone. Eleanor hadn't answered. The words felt like a cruel joke now. Public relations. A new role, a new team, a sea of unfamiliar faces. She hated small talk, she couldn’t deal with the fake smiles, the forced laughter. She longed for the familiarity of her old desk, the comfort of her routine in the Data Processing department.

She sat at her desk, staring at the blank screen of her computer, the silence amplifying the frantic thumping in her chest. She had to show them she was capable. She had to. Her fingers trembled as she began to type the email, her knuckles white against the keyboard.

She closed her eyes and took a breath.